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WIPO wants to revitalise the PCT system. James Pooley, deputy director-general for patents at the IP organisation, outlines progress so far and explains how the improvements should benefit users

China’s revised Patent Law contains new provisions on genetic resources. Jiancheng Jiang of Peksung explains how they affect applicants, and considers whether certain specific inventions would be patentable

My company wants to set up a website or blog that allows the public to post their own content. How do I make sure we are not held liable for any IP infringements?

The French Federation of Perfumery Industries started opposition proceedings against a Greek trade mark application for perfumery goods in international class 3 containing the applicant's first name along with the term "de Paris" on the basis that said sign is deceptive as to the origin of goods concerned. The applicant contested the opposition on the grounds that the term "de Paris" indicates her connection with Paris, France, not the origin of the goods covered by the Greek trade mark application at issue.

Korean companies have traditionally been defendants in cases before the US International Trade Commission. Now they are likely to be plaintiffs. Alexander Koff considers whether Chinese businesses can make the same transition

IP owners often cooperate with business rivals to make their shared battle against fakes more effective. But staying on the right side of competition rules is vital. David Latham, Suzanne Rab and Laura Whiting provide a guide to getting the balance right

More than 8,000 trade mark professionals from 130 countries attended the INTA Annual Meeting in Boston in May, which was co-chaired by Laura Covington of Yahoo! and Larry Jones of Alston & Bird. Keynote speaker Peter Guber, chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, drew on his film production career to tell attendees how to develop their brand story, while INTA President Heather Steinmeyer used her speech to remind IP counsel of the perils, as well as the opportunities, of connecting with consumers through social media and mobile communications.

Managing IP publishes its eighth annual list of the 50 most influential people in IP

Tøyen tannlegevakt (TT) – a dental clinic – registered its logo consisting of a red cross containing four white As and a representation of a tooth in 2007. When becoming aware of the mark, the Norwegian Red Cross ordered TT to cease use because the mark was easily confused with the Red Cross emblem. When TT refused, Red Cross filed a complaint.

The coming few years will bring a halt to the dominance of big pharmaceutical companies, which are exposed to patents that will expire on more than $80 billion-worth of blockbuster drugs. A famous example is the patent expiry of Eli Lilly's anti-depressant drug, Prozac, which reportedly lost 73% of market share within two weeks of generic launch. Similarly, Pfizer's anti-depressant Zoloft, which lost patent exclusivity, showed a decline in revenues to $531 million in 2007, compared to $3.3 billion in 2005. However, Pfizer's bigger concern in the near future is when the patent for other famous drugs such as Lipitor and Viagra will expire.